The Piedmontese city of Novara, in northern Italy, rises in the middle of rice fields and traces its origins back to Roman times; it was a municipium in the 1st century BC and developed into a flourishing center under the Roman Empire. Even today, remains bear witness to this rich past, such as the city wall of Piazza Cavour. Its old town, with its beautiful palazzi and colonnades, invites visitors to stroll far from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Not to be missed You can start a visit to Novara from the neoclassical Piazza Martiri della Libertà. To the south stands the Castello Sforzesco, still impressive despite its poor state of preservation. The Coccia Theatre (1888) is on the southern side of the square, and to the north is the Palazzo Orelli (or Palazzo del Mercato). Via Fratelli Rosselli leads to the Duomo Santa Maria Assunta (19th century), whose neoclassical structure is attributed to Alessandro Antonelli. This dome was built on the site of a former Romanesque church, whose mosaic-covered floor is still visible in the presbytery. Opposite the cathedral, the baptistery (considered the oldest building in the city, 4th–5th centuries) houses frescoes depicting scenes of the Apocalypse (11th century) and the Last Judgment (15th century). In the adjoining cloister, archaeological finds such as steles from the 2nd century BC are on display. On the first floor, the Lapidary Museum also exhibits fine pieces. The National Museum, with its archaeological department and a painting gallery, is located in the Broletto Palace, a building constructed in different periods.
The most important church in Novara is the Basilica di San Gaudenzio, built according to the plans of the architect Pellegrino Pellegrini, nicknamed Tibaldi, and completed in 1659. Its dome, 121 m high and crowned with a gilded Christ, the true symbol of the city that travelers can spot from afar, is also the work of Alessandro Antonelli (completed in 1888). Inside, in a raised crypt (the Scurolo), lie the relics of the city’s patron saint, San Gaudenzio.
Also not to be missed are the polyptych by Gaudenzio Ferrari (around 1516) in the Cappella della Natività, as well as numerous paintings from the 16th and 17th centuries. Very close to the Basilica, Palazzo Faraggiana houses the Natural Science Museum with 2,500 stuffed animals from all over the world. Just a few steps away, Corso Cavour, which follows the traces of an ancient Roman road, is lined with beautiful houses and elegant shops that invite visitors to stroll.
In the surroundings East of Novara, the town of Galliate features in its center a huge brick fortress, whose construction began in 1476 under the Sforzas, on the remains of an earlier fortification dating back to 1154. The northeast tower of the Castello Sforzesco, which largely belongs to the municipality, houses the modern art department of the Angelo Bozzola Museum. From Galliate, one can easily reach the Parco Naturale Valle del Ticino.
The rice fields of the Province of Novara The southern part of the Province of Novara is a vast flat area, typical of rice fields, offering an impressive spectacle in spring, when the countless cultivated plots are flooded. The Bassa Novarese then turns into an endless lagoon composed of water mirrors separated by dikes, poplars, and canals. The clay soil retains the water of the many rivers and canals very well in this region, where rice has been cultivated for over 500 years. However, it was only with the industrial era, in the 19th century, that the rice fields were modernized and took on the “artificial” appearance they have today, with villages, castles, churches, and farms emerging here and there.
Ph: Dollar Photo Club
